goodman



`(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. F. GOODMAN.

SHEET FBBDING MACHINE.

WTNESSES: |NVENTOR Enzyme; Qaocman,

ATTORNEYS Tug nonms PETERS co., Pnoomuo.. wnsnmsrou. u. c,

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheer, 2.

E. F'. GOODMAN. SHEET PEEDING MACHINE.

No. 601,562. Patented Mar. 29, 1898.

Byig

` ATTORNEYS.

m: gcnm paens co. gow-muc., wAsmNmoN, u, c.

E. @Miren .Spares EUGENE F. GOODMAN,

or NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No. 601,562, dated March29,1898.

Application filed April 9, 1897. Serial No. 631,446. (No model.)

To all whom it' may concern:

Be it known that LEUGENE F. GOODMAN,v

a citizen'of the United States, residing at Newl York, in thecounty andState of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in SheetFeeding or Gathering Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to feeders by which sheets are fed successivelyfrom a pile to a ruling, folding, or other machine 'or to aprinting-press; and the object of the invention is to construct a feederwhich is simple and reliable in Voperation and which can be readilyadjusted; and the invention resides in the novel features ofconstruction set forth in the following specification and claims andillustrated in the annexed'drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan viewof a paper-feeder. Fig. 2 is a section along u u, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is asection along o o, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section along w w, Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a section along c x, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section along yy, Fig. 1.Fig. 7 is a section along zz, Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a sectional view ofmechanism for Operating the lifting-racks of the sheetsupport.

The legs 1 support top pieces 2, from which rise the bearings 3 for ashaft 4, suitably rotated or actuated, as by power or'by handas, forexample, by a crank 5, Fig. 1. The shaft 4 carries or actuates a cam 6,actuating' those parts by which one sheet after the other is fed frompile 8, as follows: This cam 6, acting against rollers 76,'Fig. 1, on abar 77, causes such bar to reciprocate longitudinally, or forward andbackward. As seen in Fig. 3, this bar 77 has a slot engagement withfeeder-actuating shaft 4, so that the bar can swing as well asreciprocate on such shaft. At its forward part the bar 77 rests on orengages a cam 78, which causes the bar to swing or to rise and fall.Said bar 77 carriesa stem 79, with a feeding-foot k80, which when facedor padded, as by rubber 81, will secure a suitable contact with the topsheet on pile 8. The high part of cam 78 having raised the bar 77 tolift foot 8O away from the sheet-pile and the cam 6 having drawn ormoved the bar 77 back, the low part of cain 7 8 is brought to positionfor allowing bar 77 to drop its foot-SQ on the pile, or', rather,ontothe top sheet of the\ pile. The cam 6 then throws or slides bar '77forward, and the top sheet .is thereby slid off A the pile 8 toward thefeed-rollers 10 and pressure-rollers 11, so as to pass the front orleading edge of the sheet in between such rollers. The stein 79 can bemade adjustable on bar .7 7 to properly set the foot 80, and said bar 77is shown with a stem 82 for the reception of one or more suitableweights 83,V causing the foot 8O to properly take or press onto the topsheet.

The bar 77 or its foot 80 may be considered a four-motion feed. Thereleasing or lifting cam 78 is actuated by shaft 84, suitably driven, asby pulley-and-belt connection 85, 86, and 87, Fig. 1, from shaft 4.

The pile of sheets 8 rests on a table or supside pieces or braces 14,and said support is carried by upwardly-extending racks 15. Back piecesor risers 16, Fig. 3, on side pieces 2 can be made to brace or steadythe racks 15 for holding them in mesh With gears 17. The racks aregradually raised during the operation of sheet feeding, so that as thesheet-pile 8 diminishes the support 12 will rise to bring the remainingsheets vsuccessivelyrwithin reach of the feeder 8O to be fed off one byone.

The rack 15 is engaged by gear-Wheels 17, secured to 'tubular shaft 18,Figs. 1 and 8. The tubular shaft 18 is mounted on and can rotateindependently of the shaft 19, having its bearings 2O supported by theframe parts or lateral top pieces 2, Fig. 1.

Formed integral with the gear 17 is a head or disk 2l, (see Fig. 8,) inwhich are iiXed headed studs 22, which rest in apertures formed inclutch-'jaws 23, that are adapted to be clamped about a disk or 'head25, rigid on the shaft 19, by screws or bolts 24.

The rotations of shaft 19 are communicated through the clutcharrangement 25 23 21 to the sleeve `18 with gears 17, so that the latterwill raise the rack 15 with sheet-support 12. 1f, however, the shaft l19should be turned eicessively or at improper moments, as when IOO thesheets 8 are already in position to be firmly pressed or gripped byfeeder-face 8l, the disk or head 25 will slip in the jaws 23, so thatthe sleeve 18 will not rotate and breakage is avoided.

The shaft 19 receives a step-by-step rotation as follows: Secured toshaft 19 is a transmission-gear or worm-wheel 26, engaged by worm 27 ofshaft 28. This worm-shaft 28 has its bearings 29 on a top piece 2,Fig. 1. Secured to the worm-shaft is a ratchet 30,

Fig. 2, engaged by pawl 31, carried by leverA 32 33, loosely fulcrumedon shaft 28 and having its arm 32 overweighted, so that the arm 33 restsagainst lever 34, Fig. 3, fulcrumed at 35. The cam 36, secured to androtating with feeder-shaft 4, oscillates the levers 34 and 33 32 withpawl 3l, so as to intermittently rotate shaft 28 with gears 27 26 andshaft 19. A crank or handle 37, Fig. 3, enables the shaft 28 to beturned for rapidly adjusting or moving the support 12 to position forreceiving a charge of sheets or for starting the feeding operation. Thepawl 31, Fig. 2, when swung out of engagement with ratchet 30, leavesthe shaft 28 free for retroy. grade movement by handle 37.

In order to prevent any but the top sheet being taken offv the pile, thefollowing arrangement is provided: A tube 90 is adjustably secured, asby screw 91, Fig. 1, to a rockshaft 92, having its bearings 93 on a sidepiece 2, the free end of tube 90 being extended across the sheet-pile 8to near the opposite side piece 2 or the sheet edges at said lastnamedside piece. This tube 90 is oscillated by rock-shaft 92 to carry thefree end of tube 90 onto and away from the pile 8. The shaft 92 isrocked by arm 94, Fig. 3, which is actuated by spring 95, Fig. 1, tothrow the free end of the tube 90 onto the sheet-pile. The cam 96 onshaft 4, acting against arm 94 to swing the latter against the tensionof spring 95, will raise the free end of tube 90 off the sheet-pile. Byforming the cam with a suitably-abrupt step from its high to its lowpart the spring 95 will be allowed to throw the free end of the tubeonto the sheet-pile with certain abruptness or so that the free tube endstrikes the pile or the top sheet with a blow or snap. The tube 90 whensuitably con-- nected with a vacuum or exhaust mechanism will have acurrent of air flowing in at its mouth or at the free end of the tube,so that on the tube contacting its mouth or free end with the top sheetof the pile 8 such top sheet will be held or, as it might be popularlyeX- pressed, sucked to the tube-mouth, so as to adhere to and rise withthe latter when the rock-shaft 92 swings up the suction-tube or lifter90. The free end or mouth of this suction-tube, as seen in Figs. 5 and7, is not formed or cut od square, but has an inclined edge or outwardlyfacing or openingbevel, so that as 4 said free tube end snaps onto thetop sheet I the latter will have an edge or corner somewhat tilted orbent up from the underlying .from being taken by the feeder.

sheet or pile, thereby allowing air to enter between the top and theunderlying sheet, so that on the rise of the tube 90 with the top sheetadhering to the tube-mouth no underlying sheet will adhere to such topsheet and the edge of but one sheet will be raised at a time by the riseof tube 90. The sheet-board 12, as seen in Fig. 7, by having adepression 97 at or below the point where the tube-mouth strikes willinsure the sheets of the pile,when the latter is about exhausted, beingtilted up at an edge or corner by said remaining sheets being dentedinto the hollow 97 by the descending tube 90. Each top sheet is thus inturn suitably bent to be separated from the under sheet and to sitsnugly against the suction-mouth or free end of the tube. A finger orstripper 98, Fig. 1, of curved or other suit-able shape, causes thelifted sheet to be released or dropped from tube 90 after the latter hasrisen a certain distance. The stripper 98 is adjustably secured, as byslot-andscrew connection 99 and 100, so that the stripper as well as thesuction-tube can be set for sheets of varying lengths.

A finger or detent 38 has a four-motion play. When the suction-tube islifting the top sheet or an edge thereof off the pile 8, said nger 38 isback of the rear edges of the pile to allow the rear edge of the topsheet to be raised by or to move up with the suction-tube. As the rearedge of the top sheet is lifted sufficiently high the finger 38 movesforward.

beneath such raised sheet edge and above the underlying pile of sheetsuntil said finger is over such underlying pile or over that portion ofthe pile which is near its rear edge. The finger 38 thus drops orpresses onto such pile to hold the latter, and the lifted sheet havingbeen stripped off the tube 90 by stripper 98 will drop on top of detent38, so as to be free for being fed off by feeder-face 81, while suchdetent holds down the underlying pile to prevent all but such looseupper sheet After the top sheet is fed off the detent 38 rises to freethe pile and then recedes back of the rear edge thereof to allow what isnow the top sheet to be raised in its turn by suction-tube 90. Thisfour-motion play of detent 38 is effected as follows: The detent orfinger 38 is adjustably secured, as by a screw 39, to a shaft 40, Fig.1,which can rock and also move longitudinally in its bearings 44. Therocking of the shaft 40 causes the free end of finger 38 to swing fromand toward the top of the pile, and the longitudinal movement of theshaft carries the finger back and forward of the rear edge line of thepile. The shaft 40 has an arm 46, which contacts or engages with a cam51 on shaft 4 and which cam may be considered a double cam, having facesor being shaped to give arm 46 a reciprocating as also an oscillatingmotion. The reciprocating motion of the arm 46 produced by one face ofcam 51, in connection with returning-spring 43, Fig. 1, will give theshaft IOO The pile of sheets is prevented from rising.

above the proper level, or, if too high, de-

pressed to the proper level, by a sheet-stop 102, Fig. 2, the stem 103of which is guided by arm or bearing 104. A spring 105 tends to lift thestop 102 olf the sheet-pile, and at proper moments a cam 106 on shaft 4acts against stop 102 or against a roller on said stop to depress thelatter with the sheet-pile or to prevent the latter being raised toohigh. The sheet-pile rests on the table 12, which is movably held bymeans of the friction-jaws 23, and in case said table, with the pile,should have risen too high the stop 102, descending or being pressedonto the pile by the cam 106, will push down the table l2 against thefriction or hold of jaws 23 until said table is in position to hold thetop sheet at the proper level.

The feed rollers 10 have their shaft 60 driven by gears or connection61, Fig. l, driven by belt 62 and pulley 63 on shaft 4. Thepressure-rollers 11 are j ournaled in arms 64, swinging loosely on shaft65, and these arms 64, with rollers 11, lare sufficientlyheavy orweighty or exposed to spring-pressure so that said rollers'll bear withrequisite pressure on the rollers 10 or on the sheet, which, being fedaway from thepile, passes between said rollers 10 and 11. The shafts 60and 65 are supported by arms 66, extending from frame 1 and 2.

The sheet support or board 12 can be stopped against excessive descentby anges or stops on frame parts 2.

The shaft 4 carries a pulley 71, Fig. 1, from which extends a belt orconnection 72 to roller '73, which, with roller 74,. supports a belt orcarrier 75. As the sheets coming from rollers 10 and 11 are deposited onsaid carrier the latter can suitably transport the sheets to anyrequired point forbeing gathered, as into books, or utilized as seenfit. j

The detent 38, as noted, prevents the lower sheets or the sheets belowthe top sheet from moving forward with such top sheet as the latter ispushed or moved forward by the feeder.

In case the carrier is used to gather sheets from several supports-12said carrier 75 is extended or replaced by a longer carrier and therollers 73 74 are set farther apart, so that the carrier 75 will travelpast the several supports, while if sheets are to be taken off from onlyone support 12 a shorter carrier 75, as shown in Fig. 1, will suice.

The pusher or feeder being properly timed will push or feed off thesheets one by one. The finger or detent 38 may have its contact partpadded, as with rubber, to secure efticient grip or pressure on the pileof sheets.

The pawl-lever 32 33, besides being overweighted, may connect with aretractionspring, as 89, Fig. 2.

The screws or pins 22, shown in Fig 1 as projecting from disk 21, serveto carry or support the jaws 23 on disk 21 in case these jaws and theinterposed disk 25 should be temporarily drawn apart or separated, asfor repairs. The gear-wheel17 and disk 21 are both secured or fixed toshaft 18, and said parts 17 and 21 can be practically cast or formed inone piece. The clutch-jaws 23 being tightened or drawn together by thescrews 24, said clutch-jaws and the disk 21 are secured together by thestuds 22 on disk 21. The jaws being held or clasped against said studsby the screws 24, the heads of the studs prevent the jaws from movinglaterally or away from the disk. The jaws thus retain the position shownin Fig. 1, close to a side of the disk 21, as long as the jaws areclasped or held together by the screws 24.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Asheet holder or support, a sheet-feeder, and a sheet-detent,combined with mechanism substantially as described for actuating thefeeder and detent, an actuating rack and gear for the holder, and atransmission-gear and cam-actuated worm-shaft for the holder- IOO IIO

actuating,shaft being provided with a cam made to actuate said pawl andratchet, said transmission-gear and holder-actuating gear beingfricti'onally or slippingly connectedv t0 allow lost 4or slip motion forpreventing eX- cessive feed of the holder substantially as described.

3. A sheet holder or support, a sheet-feeder;

and an intermittently-actuated sheet-detent, combined with anactuating-shaft for the feeder, an actuating-rack for the sheet-support,a gear made to engage the rack, a sleeve or tubular shaft for said gear,a shaft made to support or pass through and frictionally or f nerportion of the sheets, cams for actuating ro tent, combined with asheet-feeder and an oscillating suction-tube for lifting the sheets,

said tube having an inclined sheet-contacting month and said holderbeing recessed at the striking-point of said tube-mouth substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EUGENE F. GOODMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. O. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

